Beach vendors are full service workers
To the editor:
Fort Myers Beach is a 100 percent tourism town. Beach vendors, ranging from chairs to parasail to selling ice cream to providing food at local restaurants, deeply depend on the tourists to make a living here on Fort Myers Beach. These real time jobs not only provide a service, they keep us local people employed and able to feed our families, while maintaining residence on Fort Myers Beach.
Beach workers are out there every single day no matter what the weather is, the quality of the water, if it is season or off-season and provide a service for tourism in our town We also do it for the betterment of our town and for our town’s better, beautiful image. It is the same service that helps fuels our local economy.
Beach workers should be commended for their efforts everyday to be the trash men, the concierge, the lifeguard and much more, while educating tourists of our sea turtle nests, shorebirds, shells, and so on. Beach workers do not line rows of rental chairs to obstruct the general public from sitting on the sand. They are simply making the beautification occur for our town and its tourists and locals to enjoy, while proving a perfect service for all who visit our beach. With off-season running long in the middle of August, we still have most of our seats filled every day. Ask any European to visit Fort Myers Beach if they would rather sit directly in the sand or rent a chair. Many regulars rent the chairs on a daily basis who are from the town and throughout our county. The services of the beach vendors, without a doubt, provide an extremely important service, the service to provide the best we can to our tourism market.
Unfortunately, there are certain people who come to the beach and deliberately set up their own stuff directly in front of chairs for rent. These very same people who leave their house with intent to do such an act. Granted people can sit wherever they like on Fort Myers Beach, yet common sense would tell you you’re looking for a reaction if you deliberately sit right in front of a rental chair. Each worker issues a kind approach by simply asking the people if they could move up or back just a couple feet. Some go out of their way and want to make it impossible for a beach vendor trying to raise a family, by trying to raise a stink about absolutely nothing. We vendors hope to continue to simply provide a viable service to tourism and all beach goers.
As vendors, we do pay rent for space and legally set up our beach chairs and equipment.?There is plenty of space along seven miles of Fort Myers Beach’s beautiful white sandy stretch to lay out, play, set up tents, and do whatever you want to do with your family for a beautiful day at the beach. Beach workers want everyone to have a beautiful day at the beach. That is exactly why we’re in the business to provide a service for tourism and the beautification of Fort Myers Beach for all to enjoy the beach. We are a “9-to-5” operation no different than a banker, a grocery bagger, or any other profession that one must work at to create a better tomorrow for our family and loved ones.?We are regular island folks, with regular jobs, providing for our families, while creating a positive service for tourism.?Beach chairs do not dominate the beachfront. I welcome all people looking for a place to sit in the sand, but everyone must follow the rules that are in place when it comes to the establishment that we, as vendors, setup in front of – rules such as no coolers. Not all vendors have these rules in place, yet the ones that do, we all have no choice but to abide by.
Beach workers have compassion for people who do not want to rent a chair, and never hassle the person for not renting the chair. We kindly say have a nice day and enjoy the beach. Remember, we are creating a service for all beach goers.
John G Heim?
Fort Myers Beach